12 Things Not To Buy In 2016

I'm a Senior. Can't afford satellite cable, etc. Was paying $35/month for "basic" on Direct TV. Got basic stations and a couple more. Then I bought a Flatwave Amped indoor antenna. It's great! Better picture than satellite! Not much more choice of stations, but get the basics. So great if you don't need hundreds of nothing stations. And after about two months, it HAS PAID FOR ITSELF, and is now FREE.

@Bob - Can you DELETE 3 or 4 of Anthony's duplicate posts? He evidently did not read the Instructions and kept hitting the "Submit" button.

"All comments are previewed, and may be edited before posting."

Great article and some good Replies.

I disagree with not purchasing a dedicated GPS because of the data you would be using with navigation on a cellphone.

Please remember that not everyone owns, or intends to own, a cellular telephone. So there will still be a place for genuine digital cameras for a lot of people, for a long time to come.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Perhaps true, but as of September 2013, the Pew Research Center found that 91 percent of Americans owned a cell phone. That number is surely higher by now.

Regarding using your phone's GPS. I use an app called Sygic which works very well without a cellular or internet connection as you download the maps that you require to your phone.

Earlier this year on a trip to southern California I downloaded B.C., WA, OR and CA. The maps have many points of interest and other info. And the app did a fine job of navigating. It was pretty much the same as using my dedicated Garmin NUVI but less complicated in terms of updating maps regularly.

I believe you can download the app and maps for continued use but they cannot be used to navigate unless you've paid for them after the trial period (reasonable prices based on how much of the world you need).

Bob, I agree with you 100% that paid subscriptions to antivirus packages are simply not necessary for the average home user any more. There are many different, very good and free, A/V packages available today to prevent incurring needless annual expense. There is, of course, one answer that is even better. Ditch Microsoft Windows (any version) and become a Linux Mint user. Its free, efficient, has all tools available that most basic users will ever want or need, and is virtually security proof. I used and professionally supported Microsoft products for over twenty-five years. I recently switched to Linux for good. I simply use the computer and the tools that are put there for me. I don't spend several hours per week running maintenance on my systems any more. Using my computer has become fun again, something that I thought was a thing of the past.I recommend Linux Mint wholeheartedly. Take care and I want you to know that we all appreciate all that you do for all of us. Thanks!

You could add "radar detector" to the list of items to not buy. Most police have switched to instant-on radar guns that give little or no warning to motorists, and in the last year or two, many new cars have been equipped with radar devices which trigger frequent false alarms in nearby radar detectors. So nowadays, the false alarms outnumber the valid radar warnings by ten to one. That's just not worth it!

WOW Bob! You really struck a nerve with lots of comments.
Here's another. I used to pay too much for cable TV. After becoming disgusted with paying for re-runs 95% of the time and endless commercials, I cut them off. Now I'm on a digital antenna. It's the same thing, re-runs and commercials, but it's free.
I'm going back to reading books. Happy New Year.

Dedicated GPS required...
If you go outside of your Cell Phone Network, such as in the mountains or desert, like I do when I drive to some of my backpacking trail heads, your Cell Phone based GPS will not work at all.
Even out in the boondocks where you lose signal, the Cell Phone GPS is out of service too, this may not be a problem IF your turns, or destination occurs or takes you back into the Network.

I add Smartphones to the list. I know, it's almost sacrilege to say that these days, but I've been using a Tracfone for a few years, and it's great. No monthly fees, service is very good and, if I'd happen to lose it, my whole life isn't in an overpriced phone.

Bob,
a couple of years ago you were down on Microsoft systems and promoting Linux. Why the change of heart?

@Daniel Weiner - You have a great sense of humor and I loved your comments!

Bob, thank you for all that you do for your readers. I know, when I read your articles, that I can do what you recommend or suggest. I still have my paid A/V program, since, it is good until Aug. 2016. I got a great deal on my subscription for 3 computers, for 3 years, which made it about $10 per year. I doubt, I will get that deal, again.

As for getting rid of DirecTV, I honestly, don't think I can. I simply enjoy the off channels that I watch all of the time. Even Cable, in my area, doesn't have the off channels that I like. Netflix would not do it, for me. I do have VUDU, which I can download the movies that I want, for my collection. I buy the older movies and usually get them for $5.88 or $7.88 each. Or I will download some of my DVD movies, so, I am not using the DVDs to much or if, one of my DVD Players goes out, I can still see the movies.

I have been using off manufacturer ink cartridges, for years! Why should I spend all that money, just for a name? Makes no sense, to me.

I simply use the GPS, on my Smartphone, when I need directions. Usually, all I have to do is look at the map, I visualize it and I am good to go. I do have a gift of being able to see a map, visualize all of the streets, the way to go and then, I do it. There are lots of people, who can't even read a map, yet alone, know how to use it, to go to an address. When, my daughter goes on a trip, she always wants me to print out the way to go. I am more than willing to this for her or anybody.

Shame on you, Denial Wiener. There are no links in your comment. How am I supposed to get my headgear? Oh, sure, I COULD Google it, but it would be so much easier just to click on the link and have eternal protection and security delivered right to my door. Don't be standing in my way when the UPS man is bringing the package.Even tho there is no link, I will not let it spoil my holiday spirit- Merry Christmas! Oh. I almost forgot. Do they make a thermal model with earmuffs for bipolars?

About Anti-virus - your ISP may also offer customers a free Anti-Virus program: my ISP provides F-Secure SAFE free of charge to its customers :-)

About dedicated GPS equipment, the only trouble with using an app on your smartphone is that it will use up your data allowance :-(

About digital cameras: I have a Samsung S4, which has a 13 mega pixel camera - but I still prefer using my digital camera for any photos I want to upload to my PC and keep or print. This is because (a) I find it quicker just to take the flash drive out of the camera and push it into the card slot in my PC, which instantly pops up as a removable drive than to try to connect my phone as a removable drive to access the content :-/ And (b) the dedicated camera has a lot more settings that are so easy to adjust ;-)

I dropped cable tv years ago when the installer that came to expand my service was a total jerk. Then a couple years later I dropped my home phone and internet. I bought a digital hdtv indoor antenna for $10.89 @best buy and 25ft of cable(not cheap) to put the antenna in a southeast facing window...tons of channels and the best picture quality I've ever had....and its free! For awhile I had a mobile broadband service for internet and had my pc wired to my tv with an hdmi cable along with a wireless keyboard....able to switch between tv and pc at the touch of a button. But I dropped the separate mobile broadband that broadcast wifi thru out the house and opted for unlimited internet on my mobile phone with t-mobile. It includes 5 GB if tethering data of if I need to actually use the pc...which I rarely do. And I have a screen beam mini 2($50 @bestbuy) that projects whatever is playing on my mobile phone onto my tv...so I don't even use my tethering data for streaming. Another option is a simple usb to hdmi cable for $8 to get my mobile screen on my tv...but my tv didn't have the technology need built in...tho' most TV's do. And now that t-mobile has free streaming of music and video I'm barely using any of my unlimited data. I do pay for Netflix and I recently added Slingtv....Sling gives me what I really missed from cable...hgtv and food network and it comes with a lot of the most popular cable stations like ESPN, TNT, A&E, LIFETIME, DISNEY and many more for $20/mo. (Only $14/mo for a year if you are a t-mobile customer) So I'm currently at $28/mo for tv and internet. (Actually $22 for the year with the slingtv/t-mobile discount) Not bad.

A DEDICATED GPS NAVIGATION DEVICE
your phone's GPS only works where you can get a cell signal. Your dedicated GPS gets its signal from a satellite.
USA is a big country and when I've been driving through the desert there are times when I have NO cell signal and a GPS device has been useful

Wow! So many echo this families view of the outstanding Streaming of today. Still use UVERSE for Internet and Phone. Although it is not the same as land line for something that will still be working when cell phones don't we are still looking to open an actual land line port.
Wonderful article and blogs as always.
Thanks.

As far as dropping Direct TV and cable, we did several years ago and bought a Roku device. One price and that's it, no monthly fee. We subscribed to Netflix through it, that's the only monthly fee we pay for entertainment. Roku has tons of free programming, also you can subscribed to Hulu+ and other subscription based services if desired, such as Google Play. You still need broadband of some type. We kept our DSL.

You didn't mention Kodi from kodi.tv. It is free to download and use. Great program with live streams even from UK BBC and ITV and many others. All you need is a good Internet supplier.

I disagree that you need cellphone service for GPS to function on a smartphone. I don't believe this is true for all phones, or at least not for some Windows phones. Several of the Nokia phones have GPS hardware inside the phone according to specifications. Without cell service, the GPS still works, though you would not have live traffic updates. I had a Nokia Windows phone and GPS would work with cellular data turned off. I used HERE which is a great app.

Summary: check your specs and verify before buying a GPS unit, which is still handy to have in some cases.